Pickup holder for rounded bottom paper cups



y 8, 1951 w. E. AMBERG 2,552,080

PICKUP HOLDER FOR ROUNDED BOTTOM PAPER CUPS Filed June 30, 1948 "prevented when the Patented May 8, 1951 QFFICE PICKUP HOLDER FOR ROUNDED BOTTOM PAPER ours Walter E. Amberg,

to Lily-Tulip Beverly Shores, Ind., assignor Cup Corporation, corporation of Delaware Chicago, 111., a

Application June 30, 1948, Serial No. 36,208

3 Claims.

1 This invention is directed to a pickup holder for paper cups and more particularly to a pickup holder for rounded bottom conical paper cups and also'to the combination of and the cooperative relationship between a rounded bottom conical paper cup and a pickup holder therefor.

My c'o-pending application Ser. No. 789,608 filed December 4, 1947, now Patent No. 2,473,840 granted June 21, 1949, discloses and claims a rounded bottom conical paper cup and various.

methods of forming the same, as by plaiting the apex of a conical paper cup in a series of plaits. Such a paper cup has many advantages over a conventional conical paper cup. For example, all

substances served therein may be made accessible to a conventional spoon, substances may be readily mixed therein, and danger of injury by the sharp'apex of conventional conical paper cups is eliminated. Such paper cups may also be readily nested or stacked for storage purposes.

However, it is desirable in using such paper cups to support the rounded bottoms thereof to prevent them from being punctured or damaged and to prevent the plates thereof from becoming extended in the event that the rounded bottoms should be forceably engaged by a spoon. It is also desirable automatically to pick up such a paper cup from a stock of nested paper cups by the cup holder which receives the paper cup.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a pickup holder for rounded bottom conical paper cups wherein a rounded bottom conical paper cup is readily received therein, wherein a rounded bottom conical paper cup may be automatically picked up from a stack of nested paper cups thereby, wherein the rounded bottom of the rounded bottom conical paper cup is effectively supported therein, and wherein damaging or puncturing or extending the plaits of the rounded bottom of the paper cup is efiectively paper cup is in use in the pickup holder.

In carrying out this object of the invention the pickup holder preferably includes a base por tion and a receptacle portion for receiving the rounded bottom conical paper cup, a transverse partition in the holder having a concave surface for receiving and supporting the rounded bottom of the paper cup, and gripping fingers in the holder adjacent the concave surface to be engaged by the rounded bottom conical paper cup when received in the holder for automatically gripping the side wall of the paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof.

Further objects of this invention reside in the such as plastic or metal.

details of construction of the pickup holder for rounded bottom conical paper cups, the cooperative relationship between the component parts and the combination of and the cooperative relationship between the pickup holder and the rounded bottom conical paper cup received thereby.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims and drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the pickup holder with a rounded bottom conical paper cup received therein;

Figure 2 is a sectional view similar to Figure l, but omitting the rounded bottom conical paper 11 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the transverse partition member included in the pick up holder;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 44 of Figure 1 and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating one of the rounded bottom conical paper cups disclosed and claimed in my aforementioned co-pending application.

A rounded bottom conical erally designated at H) and it includes a conical side wall H and rounded bottom l2. If desired the paper cup may be provided with a rim I3.

The pick up holder is generally designated at l5 and is shown to be a two piece holder. It includes a receptacle portion l6 which is generally paper cup is genconical in configuration. The lower part of the receptacle portion IS preferably is externally provided with an annular recess H which in turn is provided with an inwardly and downwardly eX- tending flange I8.

The pick up holder also includes a base portion 20, the upper part 2| of which is preferably flared outwardly as at 2|. The base portion 20 is secured to the receptacle portion [6 by telescopically receiving the recess ll within the flared upper part 2| of the base portion 20. The juncture of the base and receptacle portions forms a throat in the holder. The receptacle and base portion may be formed of any suitable material In the latter event, the receptacle and base portions may be formed by spinning. The telescopic juncture between the base and receptacle portions may be maintained by a pressed fit or by welding the portions together.

The pick up holder partition member 23 holder and which is I5 also includes a transverse located in the throat of the preferably made of a resil- 3 ient material such as rubber composition, Tygon, or other suitable resilient material. The

partition member 23 includes a transverse partition 24 having a concave surface 25 which is adapted to receive and support the rounded bottom 12 of the conical paper cup Ill. The transverse partition 24 may be provided with a central hole 26 to provide a drain for any liquid which might collect in the concave surface 25. This hole 26 greatly facilitates the cleaning and drying of the pick up holders.

The partition member 23 also includes a plurality of resilient fingers 21 which are located above and adjacent to the concave surface 25. The resilient fingers are adapted to be distorted by the rounded bottom conical paper cup when it is received in the holder for the purpose of automatically gripping the side wall ll of the paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof. The resilient fingers 2T normally take the position illustrated in Figure 2, but are distorted to the position illustrated in Figure 1 when the rounded bottom conical paper cup is received in the holder. As is illustrated in Figure l, the resilient fingers 2'? are gripping the side wall of the paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof.

The outside of the partition member 23 is tapered to conform generally to the flared upper part 2| of the base portion 28 so that movement of the partition member downwardly through the base portion is effectively prevented. The upper side of the partition member 23 is provided with an annular rib 28 which is adapted to be received under the inwardly and downwardly extending flange KB of the receptacle portion Hi.

In assembling the pickup holder, the partition member 23 is inserted in the flared upper part of the base portion and then the receptacle portion is telescopically received in the base portion. The inwardly and downwardly extending flange is on the receptacle portion and the flared part of the base portion operate effectively to retain the partition member within the holder.

In use the pickup holder is placed over the end cup of a stack of nested rounded bottom conical paper cups. In so doing, the paper cup is received in the receptacle portion of the pickup holder with the rounded bottom thereof engaging the concave surface of the partition. The resilient gripping fingers 2'! are distorted by the paper cup and operate automatically to grip the side wall of the paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof. The paper cup thereby is removed from the stack of nested cups by the hold er and the paper cup is firmly held within the holder.

The paper cup thus held by the holder may be supplied with any suitable substance and because of the rounded bottom mixing of the substance by a spoon is readily accommodated. Further, in the use of the cup substantially all of the substance may be removed from the cup by a spoon, this being afforded by the rounded bottom construction.

The concave surface in the transverse partition operates effectively to support the rounded bottom so that it cannot be damaged or punctured if a spoon is brought forceably in contact therewith. When it is desired to remove the paper cup from the holder, all that is necessary is to pull the same therefrom, this removin action being permitted by the resilient fingers.

The rounded bottom paper cup it) may be formed as described in the aforementioned copending application by plaiting the base of a conical paper cup in a series of plaits which plaits are illustrated at 30 in Figure 5. The concave surface 25 in the transverse partition therefore operates in addition to preventing puncturing or damaging of the rounded bottom to prevent plaits 30 from becoming extended.

While for purposes of illustration, one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this disclosure, and therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A pickup holder for a rounded bottom conical paper cup comprising, a base portion having a flared upper part, a receptacle portion telescopically received in the flared upper part of the base portion and provided with an internal flange adjacent the bottom thereof, the receptacle portion adapted to receive a rounded bottom conical paper cup with the rounded bottom thereof extending into the base portion, and a transverse partition member formed of resilient material received in the flared upper part of the base portion and held in place therein by the internal flange adjacent the bottom of the receptacle portion and including a transverse partition having a concave surface for receiving and supporting the rounded bottom of the rounded bottom conical paper cup and including resilient gripping fingers adjacent the concave surface of the partition to be distorted by the rounded bottom conical paper cup when received in the holder for automatically gripping the side wall of the rounded bottom conical paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof.

2. A substantially hollow pickup holder for a rounded bottom conical paper cup comprising, a base portion and a substantially conical cup receptacle portion joining the base portion, the juncture forming a throat between the base and receptacle portions, said receptacle portion receiving and supporting a rounded bottom conical paper cup with the rounded bottom of the paper cup extending into the throat, a transverse partition in the throat of the holder having a concave surface for receiving and supporting the rounded bottom of the paper cup, and inwardly extending resilient gripping fingers in the throat of the holder adjacent the concave surface of the transverse partition to be distorted by the paper cup when received in the holder for automatically gripping the side wall of the rounded bottom conical paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof.

3. A substantially hollow pickup holder for a rounded bottom conical paper cup comprising, a base portion and a substantially conical cup receptacle portion joining the base portion, the juncture forming a throat between the base and receptacle portions, said receptacle portion receiving and supporting a rounded bottom conical paper cup with the rounded bottom of the paper cup extending into the throat, and a transverse partition member secured in the throat of the holder and formed of resilient material and including a transverse partition having a concave surface for receiving and supporting the rounded bottom of the paper cup and including inwardly extending resilient gripping fingers adjacent the concave surface of the partition to be distorted by the paper cup when received in the holder for automatically gripping the side wall of the rounded bottom conical paper cup adjacent the rounded bottom thereof.

WALTER E. AMBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 395,409 Waters Jan. 1, 1889 410,248 Kimmell Sept. 3, 1889 521,613 Hiller June 19, 1894 Number Number Name Date Brant Sept. 22, 1914 Burgess Apr. 1, 1919 Martin July 10, 1923 Gray May 1, 1934 Leppke Oct. 3, 1939 Clifiord, Jr Sept. 14, 1943 Amberg et a1 Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 22, 1935 

